I tend to be a private person, and am naturally less inclined to speak to the specific meaning of my art. I believe doing so may only work against any deeper meaning conveyed to you the viewer. In an effort to not box the art into something that you either ‘get’ or ‘don’t,’ I aim for the work to be expansive rather than finite in its "understanding".
My work is all about storytelling. Rather than conveying a specific story to the viewer, I create work with the goal of inspiring a new story within the viewer. All I can do is capture the images that inspire me and ask the viewer to sit with the work, think about what they are seeing, trust their feelings and become a Storyteller all their own.
Yes, there are often clear ideas that inspire my work. But I am not as interested in presenting those ideas. I know if I were to tell the viewer about the idea or ideas that inspire a specific piece, it could ultimately diminish the interaction the work can have with a viewer's boundless imagination.
I know my partner and I love a movie with an ambiguous ending, because it leads to really interesting interpretations and discussions. I enjoy seeing an audience engaging with my work in that same way, and taking on the mantle of the Storyteller.
So I encourage you to check out my website and spend time with the work, think about what you are seeing, trust your feelings and become the Storyteller.
Carl Yonder
To learn more about my work please visit: